1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sleeves for razors and, in particular, to a protective sleeve for a disposable safety razor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been recognized that it is desirable to cover the blade-carrying heads of safety razors, both to protect users from inadvertent and accidental injury from the exposed blade, as well as to protect the blade, itself, from nicks or other damage. In general, prior art devices intended to satisfy these objects have consisted of a protective cover secured directly to the razor head by a resilient clip or similar means. Covers of this sort are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,636,264, 3,172,202, 3,388,468 and 3,399,455.
All of these prior art devices are similar in that the protective cover is secured to the blade-carrying head, itself. While this may be acceptable for razors having blade-carrying heads rigidly affixed to the razor handle, such covers cause additional problems with regard to the newer disposable safety razors which have blade-carrying heads pivotably attached to the razor handle. In general, the pivotable head is provided with a spring made of a resilient plastic facilitating movement of the head from a neutral detent position in response to varying loads on the blade. Unfortunately, the plastic used in such springs is susceptible to "creep", i.e., taking a permanent set when the head is moved to a particular position for an extended period of time, which renders the spring action partially or completely ineffective. Accordingly, securing a cover to the head, itself, does not protect the pivoting feature of the safety razor which is an essential and desirable feature of disposable razors.
Furthermore, disposable razors of the type described above are generally sold in multiple packages in which one razor is stacked atop another. So as to prevent premature removal of a sleeve from one of the razors during shipping, display or sale, and thereby risking injury from the exposed blade, it is desirable to provide some means for locking the sleeve in place within the stacked razors such as by engaging the sleeve of one razor with the adjacent razor. To date, however, none of the prior art shields for razors includes a protective feature of this type.